NESA Student Wins the 3rd Annual
Gong Shorts Film Competition
San
Antonio, Texas (September 17, 2012) – Although per usual, the Gong Shorts on Wednesday, September 12th
at the Alamo Drafthouse, started out with a few bangs, by the end of the
evening several San Antonio filmmakers had succeeded in pleasing the audience.
NESA (North East School of the Arts at Lee High School) junior student, Isabella Cabello, won the $100 Grand
Prize for her black and white silent film, 120 LBS. “This was the first movie I
ever made,” said Cabello, proudly. “I feel like I’m dreaming, to be honest. I
enjoyed this environment a lot.”
What
started out as simply a class assignment resulted in one of Cabello’s first
inspiring moments as a young filmmaker. Although her film started out with some
technical difficulties, that too was part of the experience for Isabella, who
said, “I learned to not give up on myself.”
Host
Jade Esteban Estrada asked Cabello about the message of her poignant film.
“There’s a lot of problems with the kids I go to school with. There’s a lot of
self-hatred. I know people who have problems with eating disorders and
depression, and it’s something they need help with, and that’s the message of my
film – to seek help,” answered Cabello.
Runner-ups,
Jose Couvillier (for The Walk) and Eddie Felan (for Deception
of Death), who gave Cabello a run for her money, walked away with
tickets to the San Antonio Comedy Clubs. Couvillier is also a NESA student.
“This
was the best Gong Shorts yet. We’re evolving into a competition that’s not only
fun but a great resource for young and experimental filmmakers. It’s exciting
to see,” said Gong Shorts producer, Kimberly Suta, who anticipates the next
Gong Shorts will take place next September. “An annual event seems to work best
for now. It gives filmmakers a chance to make some new films,” explains Suta. 10%
of the evening’s profits will be go to support the Josiah Youth Media Festival,
an annual film competition hosted by Urban 15.
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